Roof construction and cornice strip therefor



Sept. 8, 1970 l s. A. wooDARD 3,527,003

ROOF CONSTRUCTION AND CORNICE STRIP THEREFOR Filed April 8, 1968 A .mill/1.

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2 SHERMAN A. WOODARL 29 hh KW@ HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,527,003 ROOF CONSTRUCTION AND CORNICE STRIP THEREFOR Sherman A. Woodard, 701 E. 800 N., Ogden, Utah 84404 Filed Apr. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 719,548 Int. Cl. E04d 13/15 U.S. Cl. 52-94 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention comprises a unitary elongate cornice strip of uniform transverse cross-section, and roofing constructions incorporating the same, wherein the cornice strip incorporates an overhang portion or shingle strip portion disposed above the usual outer or facia surface of the cornice strip. Further improvements in the cornice strip include an upper inner groove or recess for accommodating roof sheeting overlap and, additionally, a lower, interior sotfit groove for receiving soft sheets during installation thereof next to the undersides of roof rafters, for securement thereto.

The present invention relates to roof constructions and, more particularly, to an improved roof construction embodying a new cornice strip or header.

In the past the building trades have used three separate pieces, i.e. a cornice header, a facia board, and a shingle strip to finish the outer side or edge of roof constructions. When these elongate pieces are peripherally installed, there are necessitated three separate strips by the artisan around the building structure, this to nail, first, the cornice header to the rafters, then the facia board to the cornice header and, finally, the shingle strip tothe facia board. Of course, the roof sheeting will be nailed in place to be flush with the upper edges of the shingle strip and facia board and the outer surface of the cornice header.

The present invention eliminates the necessity of use of a cornice header and, instead, provides a unitary, milled cornice strip which constitutes both the facia and shingle strip and, in addition, recesses the roof sheeting into an upper portion of the new cornice strip so as, eifectually, to take the place of the old cornice header.

Finally, instead of the soit being nailed to the oldtype cornice header, the new cornice strip includes a groove for receiving the outer edge of the soflit.

In prior constructions present code standards in the United States have required the employment of a shingle strip or overhang over the facia surface of the cornice strip. Heretofore, as above pointed out, the artisan has had to take separate strips and progress a third time around the building in order to secure the shingle strip, or overhang strip, to the cornice. The present invention, in contrast, incorporates the shingle strip or overhang portion into the cornice proper, thus eliminating attendant labor cost in going multiple times around a building in order to accomplish such securement.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved roof construction.

A further object is to provide a cornice strip in an imice The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by references to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a fragmentary side elevation of a roof construction incorporating the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section, taken along the line 2 2 in FIG. 1, and illustrates the transverse cross section of the cornice strip in the invention.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail, corresponding to the upper left-hand corner of FIG. 2, wherein an angularly configured metal strip is disposed over and secured to the cornice strip of the invention, preparatory to the inclusion Of a built-up or gravel roof on the upper surface of the roof construction.

In FIG. l the roof 10 includes as a visible exterior the cornice strip 22 and the shingles 12 comprising the roong construction 13. As will appear in this description of the invention, the roofing construction may take any one of several forms ranging from gravel and built-up roofs to shingles and tile of every composition.

In FIG. 2 the frame construction of the building incorporating the roof will include the usual rafters 14, uprights 15, and headers 16, all secured together in a conventional manner. Correspondingly, on the outer side 0f the framework 17 there will be conventionally secured insulation 18 and siding 19. The exterior may of course be brick, aluminum, wood, plastic panels, or other suitable outer constructions.

Each of the rafters 14 will include a rafter tail 20 having a rafter end abutment 21 which abuts the cornice strip 22 and against which the latter is nailed or otherwise secured. Shoulder 23 of the upper rabbet recess 24 of the inner face of the cornice strip 22 receives roof sheeting 25. Sheeting abutment shoulder 26 is preferably included in the construction of recess 24 so as to serve as a suitable, squared abutment for roof sheeting 25. The inner surface 27, of course, of the cornice strip 22 will be flush with and secured to the rafter tail 20 at rafter end 21.

The inner surface 27 includes a sofft groove 28 designed for receiving the soffit sheet 29 conventionally found in roof constructions. In practice, the sofiit sheet 29 will be hardboard or plywood of quarter-inch thickness, and is first bent or deformed laterally along its longitudinal axis as to permit the left edge of the soit sheet 29 to slip conveniently into soflit groove 28. Thereafter the sheet is allowed to assume its normal flat configuration against the under sides 30 of the rafters so as to be adapted for securement thereto.

The cornice strip 22 importantly includes a shingle strip or overhang portion 31, the latter overhanging the outer surface or facia 32.

It will be observed that once the cornice strip is secured in place to the rafters by nails 32 or other means, then the sheeting may be applied such that the same abuts shoulder 26 of upper interior recess 24 of the cornice strip 22. Subsequently, there may be supplied an angular metal strip 33, as shown in FIG. 3, for hot-mop/ built-up roofs; or, wood or other shingles 34 may be secured to the sheeting 2S in a conventional manner as seen in FIG. 2.

The cornice strip of the present invention has a number of important advantages that should be observed. In the first place, the cornice strip may be conveniently milled, or otherwise formed, to assume the transverse cross-section indicated in FIG. 2 and thus consists of a wholly integral unitary strip or element. Hence, the artisan in securing the cornice strips to the rafter tails of the roof construction need only progress around the building construction once in order to supply a cornice, a soiiit groove, a lroof sheeting recess, and a shingle strip or overhang portion to the roof construction. The inclusion of this sofiit groove 28 is important to provide convenient installation of soffit sheets. It will be noticed that the groove `construction eliminates through-cracks, caulking, the use of quarter round or half round sheets, and so forth.

As the next advantage, the upper interior recess 24 of the cornice strip 22 eliminates through-cracks as between the roofing and the rafter tail ends and interior roof construction. The recess or groove 24 provides convenient overlap with the sheeting relative to the rafter tails so as to improve the weathering characteristics of the roof consruction.

Finally, it is important to observe that the cornice srip includes an overhang portion or shingle strip 31. Presentday housing standards in the United States require the use of such a shingle strip in order to prevent aqueous substances such as ice, snow and water and icicles from coming in contact with the facia 32, i.e. the outer surface of the cornice strip which is of substantially Wide girth. Otherwise, moisture would simply tend to run down the facia vertically and cause any finish that may be present thereon to peel, thus accelerating wheathering of the cornice. It is important that there be a small overhang of reduced thickness, as seen in FIG. 2, wherein the facia is protected against water deterioration. Paint and stained coating, and the wood itself is preserved against premature cracking and other weathering by the invention,

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In roof construction, which includes rafters terminating as rafter tails, and roof sheeting and soflit applied to said rafter tails, the combination therewith of elongate cornice strips applied to the ends of said rafter tails in abutting relation thereto to form a cornice for the roof construction, each of said strips being wholly integral unitary formation and including a relatively broad outer face extending lengthwise of the cornice strip and having a lower facia surface and an upper overhanging portion defining a weather-protective surface above and overhanging said facia surface, both extending along the length of said face; a relatively narrow top face, a relatively broad inner face, and a relatively narrow bottom face, all extending lengthwise of said cornice strip; a rabbet recess extending lengthwise along the upper inner edge of said cornice strip and receiving the roof sheeting in inset relationship; and a groove extending along the inner face of said cornice strip lengthwise and intermediate the height thereof and receiving the soit in inset relationship.

2. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the facia surface, the weather-protective surface, and the inner face of each cornice strip are fiat and mutually parallel; and wherein the top face is flat and in a plane perpendicular to the planes of said surfaces and said inner face.

3. A combination according to claim 2, wherein the surfaces defining the sides of the soffit-receiving groove are perpendicular to the faces of the cornice strip that they intersect.

4. A combination according to claim 3, wherein the cornice strip is a single piece of lumber milled to final form.

5. A combination according to claim 2, wherein the cornice strip is a single piece of lumber milled to final form.

6. A cornice strip for roof constructions, said strip consisting of a single piece of lumber milled to provide an outer relatively broad face having a lower facia surface and an upper overhanging portion defining a weatherprotective surface above and overhanging said facia surface, both extending along the length of said face; a relatively narrow top face, a relatively broad inner face, and a relatively narrow bottom face, all extending lengthwise of said cornice strip; a rabbet recess extending lengthwise along the upper inner edge of said cornice strip for receiving the roof sheeting of a roof construction in inset relationship; and a groove extending along the inner face of said cornice strip lengthwise and intermediate the height thereof for receiving the sofiit of a roof construction in inset relationship; said facia surface, said weather-protective surface, and said inner face all being fiat and mutually parallel, said top face being fiat and in a plane perpendicular to the planes of said facia surface, said weather-protective surface, and said inner face, and the surfaces defining the roof-sheeting-receiving rabbet recess and the surfaces defining the side of the soffit-receiving groove being perpendicular to the faces of the cornice strip that they intersect.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,767,569 6/1930 Andersen 52-97 2,602,968 7/1952 Simon 52-96 X 3,293,808 12/1966 Duncan 52-94 X PRICE C. FAW, JR., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 52-97, 720 

